356 PHARMACOPEIAL DRUGS 



growing freely in some parts of the West Indies, South 

 America, Western Africa, Australia, etc. It was ex- 

 tensively used by the Greeks and Romans, who con- 

 sidered it an Arabian product because it came to them, 

 among spices from India, by way of the Red Sea. It 

 was an article of common import from the East to 

 Europe from the llth to the 13th centuries A. D., and 

 probably for a long period preceding that time. Ginger 

 was taxed as a spice, in common with pepper, cloves, 

 galangal, cubebs, etc. It was frequently named in the 

 Anglo-Saxon domestic works on medicine of the llth 

 century, and was used by the Welsh physicians (507) 

 of the 13th and 14th centuries, being then next to pep- 

 per in common use. Marco Polo (518) observed it in 

 China and India about 1280-90. In fact, ginger has 

 been a spice and a domestic remedy from the earliest 

 records, being extensively employed, both as a spice 

 and as an aromatic stomachic. It is still a popular 

 domestic remedy, as well as a favorite with many 

 physicians. 



